For Better or Worse
by Seldom Prodigy
Summary: Naruto cares not for love, not for friendship and not for connections; he's an exemplary Uchiha infested by the Curse of Hatred. His Uzumaki counterpart, Sasuke, strives for everything Naruto loathes. The Mangekyō Sharingan is supposed to represent unprecedented hatred, so why does his stir every time she steps before them? (Semi-Time Travel, Role Reversal)
1. Chapter 1

**_For Better or Worse_**

* * *

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke!"

The sky cried its misfortune, the earth shivered as if in mid-winter, and darkness befell over the earth by the work of dark, mushy clouds of rain.

Uchiha Sasuke, criminal, avenger, and a prodigy struggling to keep his newly acquired Rinnegan from shutting down. Uzumaki Naruto, hero, sage and a tactless prodigy wielding the Sage of the Six Paths' cloak under his absolute control. Their power was equal, and their revolve was unquenchable. Though their souls wept by each drop of blood, they cared nil but for the goal in their wake.

The blond, humble and naive be his thoughts, wished for no more than the return of his friend and brother. While the other, selfish and twisted be his mind, thought of nothing else but the peaceful future his victory would surely bring.

Kaguya had been defeated, but Naruto's struggles had yet to cease. He hadn't been naive enough to think Sasuke would return willingly after smiting the Rabbit Goddess. No, there was still much conflict to be had.

Sasuke had locked away the Bijū in several capsules of Fūinjutsu, and used their power without their consent. He had declared that he would sacrifice his very soul if needed be, all for the subjectively noble goal of peace. Naruto was not about to allow such a 'noble' sacrifice.

Now both clashed in the Valley of the End like two tectonic plates warring for supremacy.

Kurama vs Rinnegan.

Senjutsu vs _Susanoo_.

Naruto vs Sasuke.

_Rasengan vs Chidori._

Both with a single goal, and with the power to wager it.

The Valley of the End had been turned barren in an eight circular kilometer radius. The trees that once ensnared the contents of the Land of Fire's borders with green intensity were no more. The worldly renown waterfall carved out of the mountain ledge by the ancestors of both combatants, was obliterated, instead replaced by a crater two times the size of Konoha. The gargantuan pool, one crusted out of simultaneous explosions, had been brimmed with two day's worth of rain.

Just as long as their fight had been raging the Elemental Lands.

Jutsu after Jutsu, the Land of Fire shook, retelling those that had forgotten, that any living beings in the immediate vicinity would be there at the expense of its life.

As the soles of their sandals tore through the ever rising water's mantle, the sweat in their eyelashes left a bitter sting behind. As blood in their throats left a metallic taste in their lips, the lightning humming its natural lullaby left a ringing in their ears.

Sasuke dashed towards Naruto with his signature Jutsu, the intent to kill clear in his pair of scarlet and lilac orbs. What kept the injuries that were plainly visible through his tattered clothing from overwhelming his body into a withering mess of spasms on the ground, was nothing but raw adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Two specs of light reached the other.

One a soothing light yellow, the other a crackling mess of periwinkle azure. Another flash, this time above them, as if nature itself thought it dreadful should these two points collide. But less the gods themselves relinquish their thrones to interfere, no single mortal being could stop them. Those that would try would find it to be as futile as preventing the earth from its natural rotation.

In a way, their clash was nature itself taking its course.

"_CHIDORI!_"

"_RASENGAN!_"

The following effects almost hinted at how different both of them interacted with people. Naruto's _Rasengan_ whirled the surrounding pecks of rain similarly to a whirlpool, attracting and charming them into its orbit. The roughness of Sasuke's _Chidori_, disintegrated any drops before they even came in contact with his aura, refusing to allow any within its progenitor's circle.

Sasuke's _Chidori_ neared, and Naruto's _Rasengan_ came to intercept.

They clashed, the sparkling energies exposing a brilliant light almost too strong for normal eyes. The _Chidori_ seemed hungry as it drilled through the _Rasengan_ like a kunai's tip did to a thin, worn-out leaf.

The initial burst was Sasuke's thanks to his Sharingan's capabilities. But quickly, it became apparent that the _Rasengan's_ intensity was being fed by Naruto's unwavering determination.

"Guh...!" A sting, it is all Sasuke felt— one piercing, numbing sting through his chest. His eyes broad, shining and filled with dread, were a perfect mirror of his blond counterpart's own. Both knew just how close Naruto's hand was resting next to his heart. "So I... fall here huh...?"

The sole remaining Uchiha felt his body cease all feeling, and his consciousness was left in the precipice of death. His legs buckled and he clashed against Naruto's shoulder on his way towards his grave. He found this type of irony its finest kind. Years ago, their positions were reversed, but now, things were different. '_Irony is what makes life interesting, after all...'_

Naruto's knees instantly came to rest on the ground next to Sasuke's mortally wounded body. He stared at his blood-splashed hand, terror etched in every cell that formed his exhausted existence. He clutched it, breaking the skin and mixing his own blood with Sasuke's.

Tightening his fists, he slammed them against the mud, blood and water under him. Naruto knew it, Sasuke was finished. "DAMMIT, SASUKE! What did you gain from this?! You could've returned to Konoha willingly! You could've come back and I would have placed my own life on the balance to pardon you!"

"You still don't get it... dobe..." Came Sasuke's empty reply, blood seeping down the edges of his cracked lips. "This never had anything to do with you or me... I just, can't do it anymore. This life I posses is empty to me, void of reason and goal.

"I told you, didn't I? My fight wouldn't have ended with Konoha, but the world in general. The Curse of Hatred in my blood... It is far too advanced to end with something so simplistic... You spared the world from a little more fighting, quit your whining..."

Sasuke's eyes dulled to an almost lifeless color. Death had always been something he familiarized himself with, but now, as he was cradled in its merciless arms, it was now starting to feel far realer.

"Naruto... I lived fighting for what I wanted, and died fighting for what I believed... Only you sympathized with me... I'm sorry I never told you this, but I... really did always see you as my best friend... Take my eyes with you and save them, I leave everything that is me with you... Tell Sakura I... I'm sorry..."

"Sasuke..." As the light escaped Sasuke's eyes, Naruto's gained more. "Sasuke... Oi, Sasuke..." Grime and water trailed down Naruto's eyes, the latter of which he knew was coming from him, not the sky. It came raining down on him like the cold shower above— Sasuke was dead because of him. "No... How did it come to this...! How could it end like this...! It wasn't supposed to _be_ like this!"

Naruto was now the most powerful living creature on the planet, but he had never felt more powerless, feeble and useless. As he cried the tears sprouting from his injured soul, the heavens saw it fit to shower his body with even more intense rain. The pain, the grotesque dread Pein once spoke of, he was feeling it again. Like after losing Jiraiya, like after losing Neji, it all reminded him of unspoken grief, but this time, Hinata was not here to guide him through it.

Kurama's head fell as he sighed. Two days of fighting, suffering and roaring with determination to win, all for naught. It disgusted the great fox to see his Jinchūriki so distraught, so crestfallen he could give up on life any second. He was accustomed to see him shouting his misgivings to his enemies, not crying and broken. Naruto was right, this isn't how it was supposed to be.

Kurama knew what needed to be done, "**Kōzō... I have a proposition for you...**"

Seventeen years. It took the old man much less to gain his loyalty, but the relation with Naruto flourished on seldom conditions. It began with hatred, sprouting love from the decimated remains of blood and death. Now, he would risk it all. The universe be damned— Uzumaki Naruto was thicker than blood. "**Let's begin anew, hopefully for the best this time**."

"Eh...? What... what are you talking about, Kurama?" Naruto asked, the tiniest amounts of hope creeping inside his hollow, dread infatuated voice.

"**It's exactly that, Naruto. We can go back to the time when Sasuke was still in the village, to when all was at peace. Of course, I leave it to you to**-"

"Let's do it!" Naruto retorted by instinct, "If I can go back, and somehow change things... then, then maybe I can impede Sasuke from leaving the village!"

Kurama grimly sighed, "**If only it were that simple...**" The fox muttered in a dimly aggravated tone, quite annoyed by the effect of his yet to be prosecuted action. Regardless, he preferred to avoid the clauses for now. "**The chances of the fabric of space and time coming spiraling down and crashing into a trillion pieces are higher than you having an average IQ.**"

The tasteless jesting was to try and get some reaction out of the blond, but as expected, he made no move to retort.

Kurama grinned, "**It was fun, Naruto. It really was. I'll be honest and tell you; the chances of remembering anything about what we've been through is slim to none. That is if things get out of my control. Still, there is a chance you and Sasuke will retrieve them in some way**..."

Naruto was perturbed hearing the all powerful and cocky Kurama saying such feel-like analogues; it was completely unlike the great fox. It scared him to the very core. "Kurama... What're you talking about, bud...? Even if we start from scratch, we'll still become friends eventually... Right?"

Kurama chuckled with naval intention, his tone gentle and subtle. "**Of course, kōzō. But that's only if you end up being my Jinchūriki**."

"..." Then it all came crashing down like a bucket of ice in his empty stomach. "WAIT, what do you mean only if I end up being yo-!"

* * *

_***BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!***_

Damn that inventor of the alarm clock. Damn him to hell. "Shat up..." Naruto dropped his hand on the offending device interrupting his oh-so-precious beauty sleep.

The machine went silent, and for a moment his body started losing to the unassailable need that came with sleep deprivation. The blond turned to face the plain white ceiling above, his arms flung into space wildly. "I hate my liiife...!" His body rolled out of bed, and he fell face first against the wooden floor.

He proceeded to crawl over the treacherous cold floor with his blankets in tow, unbearable lazyness keeping him from rising to his feet. Finally, using the will of his diseased ancestor, Uchiha Madara, he arose like a knight being proclaimed the next king.

The covers fell around him in an overdramatic fashion, as if revealing a hero after releasing his holy cape. His jovial body, wearing nothing but heart filled boxers, moved muscle by muscle towards the washroom to ready himself for the day. "Hell yeah... That was undoubtedly epic. Too bad nobody saw it."

The blond stepped in, his sense of smell appreciating the intake of soap in his nasal organ. He observed himself in the mirror. His expression was as sober as he remembered— the damn tutors of the Uchiha clan were relentless. Pretentious, dead bastards.

His usually gold spiky hair in the back, and somewhat short bangs in the front, were messy from rolling around in his sleep. His reflection stared back with the anomaly that made him so valuable to Konoha in his eyes. His Sharingan, glorious and powerful, was livid. "Again, huh...?"

Every morning, the same process repeated itself; his Sharingan activated itself in his sleep, almost like a self-defense mechanism. He had accustomed himself to the procedure, but his annoyance for it had yet to reel into the back of his mind.

Those eyes, those magnificent all seeing, all powerful eyes were a reminder of _that_ night. The night in which all was lost, and so very little was gained... The Sharingan, and something he considered a stain on his soul, but an increase in his overall visual prowess.

The three tomoes in his eyes swirled in a heap of speed. Tears kissed the floor below, and the three tomoes spinned one last time in an ever ending glow of red and black.

Three intercepting ellipses took the shape of his Mangekyõ Sharingan over his iris, and the pressure, the surreal power of an Uchiha embracing the Curse of Hatred like the sun's rays do the earth every day, flowed over his body in complete continence of the evil taint of chakra.

Once more, his reflection imitated the tears flowing down his eyes. The pain of his wounded soul was all clear on the last stage of his Dojutsu. "Mother... Father... I would give these eyes to have you back with me..."

Naruto, heir to the legendary Uchiha clan and brother to Uchiha Itachi, would _truly_ want nothing more.


	2. Chapter 2

**_For Better or Worse_**

* * *

"Uchiha-san! Good morning!"

"Good morning."

"Naruto-kun! How're you feeling?"

"A little tired."

"Have you had breakfast yet, Naruto-san? If not, please join us!"

"I had a few carrots. It'll do. But thank you."

The shop district's people had always been kind to him, even before the Uchiha clan's unfortunate demise. Of course, he was no fool, he knew why such fruits came to be.

Walking dutifully, Naruto did his best to walk as he was instructed. Head high, shoulders lined, and expression bare. One would think he had a bat up his ass, what with the rigid structure of his spine. He hated walking like this, but he was an Uchiha. A prideful, talented Uchiha...

He sighed, '_What, so I can't be normal just because I'm an Uchiha?_' He recalled asking his mother, Uchiha Mikoto, two years ago.

'_You are normal, Naruto. The thing is... well, you're an Uchiha, and you must act like one. I don't like it either, but it's customary... Do it for me, ok?_'

He scoffed. Apparently, they weren't satisfied knowing that his intellect could rival his elder brother's when he was also eight, or that his Kenjutsu at the time had faired better than most Genin who were also Uchiha. No, they wanted a freaking _God_ like that bastard Itachi— perfect in every sense of the word. Well, he refused, he wanted to be nothing like that pest. At least not anymore.

Skill-wise, he would be better than him in that aspect, much better. His eyes were the same, but someday, _somehow,_ he would surpass him even in that.

"Uchiha-san, good morning."

Naruto stopped in his drone-like walk towards school. Great, not this again. "Yes?" He politely, but uncaringly inquired.

A middle aged woman and her daughter stood in his way, humble shopkeepers. "This is my niece," she patted the girl further, her hands on her shoulders. "Her name is Emiko. She moved here a few weeks ago, but she's a little shy and doesn't have many friends yet. So I was hoping you could show her around and possibly offer her your friendship."

'_Slick._' Naruto groused in his overdeveloped mind. People might as well be offering their daughters— it'd be less painful to deal with. 'Friendship' was an excuse to get the girl into his circle, founding a trustworthy relationship at a young age. That was this woman's master plan— she wanted the girl for his future. That, or he was being unbelievably paranoid and pessimistic over human nature.

Nah. He was never wrong.

"I would love to," he smiled. "But unfortunately, I can't. I leave the Academy at twelve, and train in my compound until nightfall. I literally have no time whatsoever." Seeing the woman's skeptical look, he added, "Hokage-sama's orders. As you know, I'm the last Uchiha," he sighed pitifully, his eyes actually welling.

Father would be proud.

"I have a responsibility to uphold to my village. That's why, I'm 'advised' to train as much as possible to grow into Konoha's most powerful Shinobi. I'm sorry, I know it's not much of an excuse, but this little burden keeps me from doing what I wish."

Crestfallen, the women frowned. "My, my, I'm sorry to hear that. I cannot imagine the burden it must be to live with such high expectations from your village. And at ten years old..."

He mentally sneered— mother always did say he was a manipulative brat spawned from hell's tenants. "It's hard." Naruto admitted, smiling wistfully. "But I'm an Uchiha, and I have a responsibility to stand by as the sole surviving one."

The gentle-looking, middle-aged woman nodded sympathetically. "Of course. I wish I could say I understand your troubles, but your life must be truly unique. Though, I can only wonder if such uniqueness can be a blessing, or a curse..."

For the first time, Naruto's mask really fell. It was like she had poured hydrofluoric acid over an open wound. "I couldn't agree with you more..." He started walking once more, stopping next to the girl. He gave his best attempt at a smile, but failed miserably. "I can't show you around, nor can I really spend time with you, sorry. But still, I hope I see you around giving your search for friends the best you got."

The dark haired, green eyed girl nodded sadly in gratitude. "Thank you." A warm flush rosed her hitherto pale cheeks. His dark eyes quickly enchanted her, and his words easily carved deep admiration for his courage. "If you can be brave enough to fight on as the last Uchiha with such dedication, then working to find friends should be an easy task."

Naruto bowed out of courtesy and went back to his route towards the Academy. '_Is my life a curse, or a blessing...?_' For years, he had wondered if such a stifling notion was relevant or not. But if others could see such misfortune, then what could _he_ do to answer such a question?

* * *

_**+Academy+**_

On top of a rooftop, Naruto's charcoal eyes crossed the road, where the Academy laid. The girls had crowded around the entrance again, making it impossible for him to go in undetected. He sighed, his blond hair swaying to the rhythm of a nomadic wind. He dug his face deeper into his navy blue, high-collar for shelter. '_Annoying girls... why must they torment me so...?_'

The bell would ring in three minutes, yet they still lingered on their watch for him. Persistent bimbos.

His hands came together. Ram, Snake, Tiger. "_Bunshin no Jutsu._" (_Clone Technique_) Following a pop of smoke, a substance-less clone appeared next to him. "Go." The clone dropped to the streets and went straight for no man's land. May God save his soul. He raised a perfect eyebrow, '_Do clones have souls?_'

Probably not.

How could any of those pests even consider themselves Kunoichi, anyways? They couldn't even distinguish a clone from a real person.

One chakra enhanced jump later, Naruto found himself flipping back in midair and landing within the Academy's fences. He glanced towards the girls, grunting in distaste. Already, they were jumping on him trying to cop a feel. What planet did these creatures spawn from...?

"Take that!"

Naruto turned towards the confines of the Academy's bowes, where the instructors usually stayed away from for lack of reason. There, Naruto's eyes perceived an unfortunate sight. The senpais were besieging another student that was obviously his age. His hair was raven, short and sharp. He sported a dark shirt with a red swirl in the middle, shorts and sandals. By all means, he was getting his ass handed to him.

To be fair though, there were four of them.

Naruto shook his head at their wild uproar. Truly, anyone outside the Uchiha clan were uncontrollable savages, just like father had said. He shoved his hands away and walked, this didn't involve him.

"What did I ever do to you?!"

He was about to walk away when he heard his cry. His voice, it was a lot deeper than he'd imagined. But aside from that, his inquiry was what had stopped him entirely. Reasonless aggression, was it? Hmm, this had just turned into his business. Itachi had done the exact same thing to his clan.

"Oi,"

Naruto scowled as the injured boy was sent crashing against the wall, scrapes and rasps decorating his tanned face. The tallest of the four came forward, chest out. Another two stood behind him, and the final one made sure their prey didn't run. Naruto came forward to see just how much height the tallest had on him. He was practically twice his height.

"Who's this shortie?"

Oh wow, a walking corpse.

"Senpai," Naruto muddled lowly. "To be honest, I came here seeking a peaceful arrangement. Y'know, sign a treaty and give closure to this unfortunate case of bullying. But let's just say with what you've just said, well... Have you ever wondered what it feels like to have a kunai shoved up your bum?"

One behind his target blenched at such a question, "Why the hell would you even wonder about that...?"

"I've seen some serious shit," Naruto frowned. "No pun intended." His fist collided against the cluster of nerves within his senpai's chest, otherwise known as the solar plexus. His head lowered as his body bent, and Naruto took a handful of his brown hair. His knee came seeking the boy's cheek, and struck his lips instead, splitting them instantly. Naruto fixated his target's head so he could look at him, "Un... this looks painful..."

"You bastard!"

"Wait," halted the one behind his victim. "This kid, he's... Uchiha Naruto! He's that prodigy everyone's talking about!"

"So what?!" The other howled swatting his partner's arm away. "He's just one little kid!"

"Indeed I am," nearly mocked Naruto. His eyes darkened further and his playful nature ceased. He dragged his senpai's hair and threw him face first on the ground, "But I'm a kid who has seen the devil in the face and lived to tell the tale."

Naruto sprung forward, kicked one across the face, and used his chest to impulse himself towards the other, punching him across the face as well. Both boys fell to their knees before him, heaving and blood drawing from their lips. He used his left shin to strike the one on the right, and used his right to strike the one on the left, leaving them immobile. Itachi had taught him that. To be merciless, swift and unpredictable.

Naruto started walking for the last one, "I may have overdone it..." He sneered as his final, and smaller, target shuddered taking a step back. "What do you think... _senpai_...?"

His next victim fled, unsurprisingly. So much for Konoha's "never leave a man behind" motto. Then again, they weren't even ninja yet.

Naruto flicked his sight down at the kid pressed against the wall. His eyes were a glistening, deep blue, something rare in Konoha. "You look like you got pushed off some stairs made of steel..."

The boy fixed himself with a few pats. Feeling his pride tarnished, he scowled furiously. "I don't remember asking for your help."

Naruto nodded, "Indeed. Sorry if I acted out of place, but I don't like it when the weak get assaulted like that, especially when there's no reason behind it." If possible, the kid's frown became even more ferocious. Naruto smirked, in a way his clansmen once claimed looked like the devil's mirrored expression— raw of pride, confidence and influence. "Something wrong...?"

"I'm not weak," growled the boy. His eyes flashed a stronger hue of steel. "It was a four against one, and they had years of training against me."

Naruto casually glanced over his shoulder. One of the three knocked out senpais had started getting back up, only to collapse once more from pain and wooziness. "Right... I'm sure that's what stopped _me_ from kicking all their asses and make the one holding _you_ hostage run like a pansy." Naruto figured his point bridged perfectly when the kid's frown decreased in power. "Whatever... I don't have time for this, later. No need to thank me."

Naruto didn't even bother waiting for a reply as he started making his route towards class. The bell rang, and Naruto sighed. Great, now he was late. So much for karma being real. Oh well, he was late already, might as well go get a juice box for breakfast. Not much else to buy in school anyways, at least not until lunch.

He found himself strolling through the corridors when he stopped. Tucking one hand in his pocket, Naruto's dull eyes stared at a girl exiting the faculty office and heading for his class. She was unaware of his eyes detailing her from head to toe. Her hime-style indigo hair, lavender colored Byakugan eyes, and fair, flawless skin. He hated everything about this girl. Reason being... he had no clue. It was one of the mysteries in his life.

He turned around and decided to take the long way for the vending machines, "Why does she make me feel so... jittery?"

Irrelevant, Naruto firmly decided.

After relinquishing the machines of a tomato juice box -loved the nutrition, but loved the taste even more-, Naruto leisurely cruised the hallways with boredom infested eyes. '_Amazing how there are no teachers around that could bust me..._'

Well, that was probably because they were starting class by now, his guilty conscience grumpily argued.

He turned a corner, and saw his classroom's sliding door a tad open. He stopped before the mass of wood and creeped his eyes through the ledge. "Ah... It's that one kid I helped..."

"Just admit it!"

Naruto nearly winced. He'd never heard Mizuki-sensei's voice rise so strongly. '_What the freak's going on...?_'

"You beat up those four boys, admit it, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke refused to utter a word of compliance, he'd already said what he intended. His composure was tense as Mizuki eyed him from above, the former's hands pressed against his sides. "I already said I didn't do it... Plus, they were the ones picking on me."

Naruto hummed in his mind, a snarky sneer on his lips. '_Tch, the way he says it so begrudgingly... It's so obvious he's pist that I'm the one who took them all out..._' The blond Uchiha's precious eyes diverted towards the students, acknowledging what seemed to be wariness for the aforementioned Sasuke. '_They're... afraid of him...? Why...?_'

"Hey, did you hear about him...?"

"Yea, mother told me I was to stay away from him..."

"Mine too, but she said that two years ago, since my first day in attendance..."

Naruto turned back to Mizuki-sensei, a frown instantly coming to his well-endowed face. '_What the hell is this...? Is this bastard enjoying bullying Sasuke in front of everyone?! What kind of teacher...?!_'

Mizuki would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying seeing the Kyūbi boy squirm on his feet. Still, something else was in his mind. '_He was kept out of the public's eyes and under the Hokage's robes up until now... The old man had kept him from enlisting for fear of exactly this... What made him change his mind? And why in this grade?_'

Mizuki cleared his throat and increased his glare. "Well, are you going to admit it? The teacher found only you standing among the unconscious forms of your senpais! They were taken to the nurse's office to rest because they still haven't regained consciousness! This may be your first day in a Shinobi Academy, but even you must know we don't encourage beating your classmates to a bloody pulp like you did!"

The classroom's door slid open, smacking against the opposing rail. Naruto stood there, his eyes thin and unamused. "Pretty contradictory, if not hypocritical, to teach us how to kill at a young age but scold us when we fight amongst each other." Naruto noticed Sasuke's eyes turned to him with slight ire, though harboring surprise more than anything. He gave a crooked smirk as he slurped some more luscious tomato juice from a straw. "You must really enjoy playing the damsel in distress... Such a cliché trope."

'_Crap..._' Mizuki cursed inwardly. '_The spoiled Uchiha brat..._' His smile did well to boast his kindly teacher side, "Naruto-san! You're... late... Why is this, you're usually on time...?"

"I was busy kicking the asses of those bastards picking on Sasuke." Naruto shamelessly declared. He started making his way in, "And if you hadn't been busy _bullying_ your own student, then _maybe_ you would've been wise enough to notice he too is injured." It'd been a while since Naruto had last heard the cries of swoon from the girls explode at such an impressive magnitude. '_Shit..._'

Saving Sasuke may have been a horrible, _horrible_ mistake.


End file.
